Analysis of genetic mosaics in developing and adult <i>Drosophila</i> tissues

TLDR

The authors engineered Drosophila strains bearing FRT sites and cell‑autonomous markers, including novel epitope‑tagged nuclear and membrane proteins, to enable efficient generation and analysis of genetically distinct cell clones in developing and adult tissues. Using these strains, they dissected the developmental role of the Drosophila EGF receptor homolog and demonstrated that the system can efficiently uncover new mutations, providing a powerful platform for systematic genetic screens.

Abstract

We have constructed a series of strains to facilitate the generation and analysis of clones of genetically distinct cells in developing and adult tissues of Drosophila. Each of these strains carries an FRT element, the target for the yeast FLP recombinase, near the base of a major chromosome arm, as well as a gratuitous cell-autonomous marker. Novel markers that carry epitope tags and that are localized to either the cell nucleus or cell membrane have been generated. As a demonstration of how these strains can be used to study a particular gene, we have analyzed the developmental role of the Drosophila EGF receptor homolog. Moreover, we have shown that these strains can be utilized to identify new mutations in mosaic animals in an efficient and unbiased way, thereby providing an unprecedented opportunity to perform systematic genetic screens for mutations affecting many biological processes.